Value for money... Bang for Buck... More sauce in Your Spoon!

(I've no idea what that last one means either, I just said it because it sounds nice :)

...But this is a disc that has a lot to be said about it, makes it well worth owning.

Firstly, It's another landmark in the Decca catalogue, as it's Cat number shows, the first of the 6000 series, and although the labels here are of the small boxed logo variety (as is mine), there is / was a wide band grooved label copy from very early on - that one will set you back over £100 a time (maybe more), but the boxed logos are plentiful and cheap (usually under £10)...

...but it's not like you could possibly be losing anything in terms of sound quality by going for the cheap option as this really does sound great, and well worth it's inclusion on the notorious TAS list... big, broad, and natural sounding, and with more than one truly great tune to showcase those qualities.

For the second thing to say is that this is concealing three little treats for the casual classical music fan in search of "that elusive tune" you know, but can't put a name to...

...As has been said here, the first track of Spartacus, on side one, was used for the theme tune to The Onedin Line TV programme... But also on side two - for theme seekers who have overlooked that side having found what they are Onedin of (:)) on side one - is to be found two noteworthy tunes in Gayaneh:

The First - Sabre Dance will instantly make you smile with recognition, and make you imagine you are in a comedy movie chase - which is always fun, and something I like to do regularly.

... And then, there's the sublime, and haunting Gayaneh's Adagio, which has been used in the Alien movie franchise, as well as 2001: A Space Odyssey (quite some movie credentials there I'd say!)

And of course...

...It's a Decca.

All round, a Classical vinyl essential that can be had at entry level price.

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A charity shop find which turned out to be a little gem. In the same way as Ein Choralbuch Für Johann Sebastian, this compilation alternates between choral settings and organ solos for most of the titles. The Pilz Vienna Master Series is a budget line, without a booklet or any notes, but the recording quality is particularly good; the mastering has a slight bass roll-off which tends to hide the organ pedal stops.

Ppint has added helpful notes about the Pilz label and its distribution through 'remaindered' bookshops: this Pilz series, with CD *** catalogue numbers, may well be specifically for the UK, so the nationality may have to be changed if any further information comes to light.

I would like to know what 1990 release this was licenced from: playback in Win 10 Media Player shows a plain illustration of the famous portrait of JSB, while a search on YouTube or Amazon finds a couple of the dual tracks on a compilation called Die Weihnachtsgeschichte; unfortunately no label is credited, but the video does allow us to hear one very fine Chorale, and the noisy organ mechanism in the unnamed Church.

[YouTube Video]

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This record has had several good reviews. "Choir & Organ" writes
"Merton’s new choral foundation aimed to combine tradition with bold innovation and they pull that off here with some daring. The programme alternates post- minimalist work by David Lang with more familiarly Anglican material by another contemporary Nico Muhly, including the wonderful The Revd Mustard His Installation Prelude, written for a London friend. The Merton singers are in great voice and Merton Brass could dep for the angels"

The youth of the Choir, Brass, and in particular the junior Choristers is evident in the photos, but the accomplishment of all under the direction of Benjamin Nicholas is exemplary, as can be seen from this live recording of one of the David Lang compositions

[YouTube Video]

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This collection of titles is centred around the theme of tranquility, and includes the work of many women composers. The adult choir sings to a very high standard, but the Girl's Choir under Anna Lapwood is quite remarkable for the standard it achieves.

[YouTube Video]

"Grandmother Moon" is a setting of a mystical Miꞌkmaq poem from Northeast Canada: the text describes the beauty and tranquility of a full moon on a clear night.

[YouTube Video]

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Full of the joys of spring!

Zesty, Bouncy, Bumble-busy classi-bop... Perfect for a sunny day in the garden.

(Or wherever you can get to)

...Well, the first side is at least, and the second side continues this to the conclusion of Lieutenant Kije suite on that side. It gets a little more dramatic, and at the same time, with contrasting quiet spells which sounds very much like a film score thereafter, in the Love Of Three Oranges Suite, but altogether a well selected group of pieces that sit nicely together on this disc, and make for a very 'up' and lively listen.

You probably know this one:

(hum along if you do :)

[YouTube Video]

As for this issue / pressing, I've got say now, that while the big labels (Decca / HMV / Columbia etc.) certainly justify the noise about their sound quality and such, I can't see that these CBS records sound any less brilliant than those... certainly if there is a difference, it must be by a bare squeak, as these (along with my other recent favourite label: Philips) sound every bit as good. I think you've just got to put it down to snobbery in the end, as there is no reason why any of these shouldn't be included on that there Tas list for pure awesomeness.

...Full sweeping sound, lots of Oomph, detail, sound stage, separation, and all the other guff that audiophiles talk about is to be found here as readily as on any of those other labels.

So save yourself a few quid, and do not hesitate to buy Classical on CBS if you find one.

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Spirited playing of several pieces composed for the quartet by Caroline Shaw. The harmonies are conventional and accessible, very much in a style of a century earlier. This 2nd movement of Plan And Elevation even quotes from the Ravel Quartet in F

[YouTube Video]

Also issued on orange vinyl double album.

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New-Age and Ambient reinterpretatiion of Hildegard's work. Sitar, bells and deep synthesised bass. Very pretty solo singing by Emily van Evera with vocalese background by Sister Germaine Fritz, but not what Early Music listeners would expect.

Vision (full length)
[YouTube Video]

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John Blow preceded and succeeded Henry Purcell at St Paul's Cathedral and the two were mutually influential, as we can hear in his beautiful setting of Salvator Mundi
[YouTube Video]

The glorious, tranquil Crux Fidelis is attributed to John IV, King of Portugal but no original manuscript exists, and it appears to have been written, or re-written, and first published in France in 1869.
[YouTube Video]

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O Lord, the Maker of Al Thing was a prayer written by King Henry VIII and set to music by John Joubert in 1953. As a prayer of intercession it is placid and laudatory but Joubert's setting with its archaic text and sombre organ chords turns it into something deeply troubled and full of foreboding. Superficially tiresome, with repeated hearings it becomes a compelling anthem for use in Church.

O Lorde, the maker of al thing, we pray Thee nowe in this Evening us to defende through Thy mercy, from al deceite of our en'my. Let neither us deluded be, good Lorde, with dreams or phantasy, oure hearts wakyng in Thee Thou kepe, that we in sinne fal not on slepe. O Father, throughe Thy blessed Sonne, grant us this oure petition, to whom with the Holy Ghost alwaies in heav'n and yearth be laude and praise.

(2023) YouTube video now unavailable

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Elton is close to the centre of Bury and the original All Saints Church was deconsecrated about 1997 and is now fashionable apartments, but in 1976 it had supported a very good choir. There were no women choristers at the time of this recording, though there had been for a few years previously. I was loaned this record by a friend who had sung there earlier, and on playing it my expectations were greatly exceeded.

The choir is here supported by a fine organ (by Jardine), with that sought-after attribute of never going sharp following unaccompanied verses! William Thomas brings a good sense of dynamics to the works, while the intonantion is never in doubt.

The record starts with the hymn Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken, to the tune "Austria" by Haydn.
Psalm 75 is sung to the familiar Chant by George Elvey.
The hymn Bright The Vision That Delighted is not sung to the stated tune but to "Redhead" by Richard Redhead, with two verses unaccompanied and two with the descant arrangement by Percy Whitlock.
Good King Wenceslas uses the familiar arrangement by Reginald Jaques

The recording quality is a little variable, sometimes having the organ in the background, at other times nicely balanced; some quiet tracks reveal a persistent rattling noise, but overall the sound is good. If there had been a follow-up record they would be worthy of commercial release on a CD, which I would gladly buy.

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A delightful selection of the lamentational and the cheerful, either sung by Theatre Of Voices or played by The King's Noyse. Some will be familiar, as with the short anthem If Ye Love Me, and in particular with "Why Fum'th In Sight" which has become widely known for the tune used by Vaughan Williams as his Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis.

What exactly is a Solfing Song? Played here as an instrumental, "solfing" probably referred to the then fashionable art of Solfège or instruction in singing. The set closes appropriately with the plainsong hymn for Compline, Te Lucis Ante Terminum

[YouTube Video]
[YouTube Video]

By contrast, the Eighth Tune is relatively cheerful and relatively unknown.
[YouTube Video]

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You will like this if you listen to a lot of new music, orchestra with near-silence, synths, guitar, bells and drones. At times it reminds me of Stravinsky with a little less of the fire.
Very New-World Mystical.

Christopher Bono explains how this album came about
[YouTube Video]

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David Wulstan has taken scholarly care in tracing and reconstructing the scores and the texts of several pieces heard here. He has also taken an "authentic" approach to the voicings used, using some very fine boy trebles for the very high parts, and countertenors for the "mean" parts as was common practice in the 16th Century, and giving a recognisably "English" choral sound.

Several of these compositions for use in the Church live on to this day as hymn tunes. His Hymne or Song No. 1 was first used for the hymn Now Shall the Praises of the Lord be Sung and nowadays is better known as the tune for Eternal Ruler of the Ceaseless Round and more recently for Where is Death's Sting, We Were Not Born to Die. It is also used for the Communion hymn O Thou, Who at Thy Eucharist Did Pray. Song 20 is used for My Lord, my Life, my Love, Song 5 for Father of Heaven, Whose Love Profound, for Strong Son of God, Immortal Love, and Song 22 for Love of the Father, Love of God the Song

Song 9 is used for the hymn Victim Divine, Thy Grace we claim. Sung here as Come, Kiss Me With Those Lips Of Thine it is more generally known as Song 34, Angels' Song for the hymn Forth in Thy name, O Lord I go. Song 13 is used for Jesu, Grant me This, I Pray, No.67 for Give Me the Wings of Faith, Song 24 for O Word Immortal of Eternal God. Song 4 has been used for the 20th Century hymn Come, Risen Lord, and Deign to be our Guest.

Hymns and Songs 1, 20, 31, 5 & 22
[YouTube Video]

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Syncopated and jazzy, cantor and choir singing call and response accompanied by Hammond organ, this is very much a Mass of its time

5 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

This is a release with several different tricks up it's triple flipbacked sleeve...

Firstly, you could ask the question: When is a Ballet not a Ballet?

...To which, you could answer: When it can be listened to as a stand alone orchestral work in it's own right... which is to say, that you can listen to this as you would a symphonic work, without losing anything from the experience by not having the context provided by the addition of the theatrical staging of a dramatic narrative and dancers to carry the whole thing forward.

(There are a few Ballets that have, I've found, prolonged segments of nothing apparently happening at all, but where a live performance with dancers and story would fill in the blanks, but a purely audio experience makes for a stultifyingly boring experience, while you are waiting for something to happen)

This doesn't suffer in this way at all, and also, while it is clearly Spanish in flavour, doesn't lean so heavily on that one leg, and can be appreciated as generally classical in tone (largely "nationless")...

But it's greatest trick lies in the recording...

What they have done is melded, by some genius alchemy, the expansive sense of the live recording, with the immediacy, and clarity of a studio recording, without making any of it sound "tacked-on", or either of these aspects suffer through contrast and comparison with the other. I don't know how this was achieved, but as a purely sonic experience, it's jaw-dropping, especially when Teresa Berganza's ethereal vocal begins, drifting in chillingly from somewhere in the middle distance, and slowly growing to encompass the entire space.

And I think it's probably these last qualities that once earned this album's inclusion on the (In)famous TAS list (always a fine excuse to bump the value up! :)... but here the sound of this entirely justifies it's acknowledgement in this way.

Pure audiophile stuff.

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In a blind hearing I would have guessed "Egyptian light orchestral". Throughout,
this has an undefined oriental feel, all the tracks being based strongly on a
5-tone scale but not the familiar Western pentatonic scale.

Hovhaness is of Armenian descent and has travelled in India and the Far East,
studying the classical music of the countries he visited: the tracks here were from that later period. Of the track Fra Angelico he writes in the notes:

The music begins in a free non-rhythm canon for 3 solo violins playing sliding melodies suggesting celestial music. A religious adoration to the universe is sung by cellos. Music of controlled chaos, each player performing an independent melodic line at his own speed, grows into a wild climax of strings, woodwinds, trombone glissandi, horns and trumpets. Colliding, clangorous bell-sounds combine with a canon in brass. The adoration returns, majestically intoned, the last chord held above free-rushing basses. The music rises into mysterious non-rhythm canons of sliding celestial sounds.

[YouTube Video]

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This lives up to billing...

...razor sharp, precise pressing you usually find with Philips records, and a meaty piece of vinyl.

X-factor, or X-tractor fans among you will be wondering, no doubt, which part of this work is the theme to that ominous judge-me jury, self esteem annihilation based (for the contestants, at least... more of a an ego stroking exercise for the judges, I think) freak show on telly, and for that, I might gently point you in the direction of: "O Fortuna" (both the opening and closing pieces here)...

...As for the rest of the work, there is actually something quite festive about the whole thing, I could actually imagine getting nicely minced with pies, mulled wine and a novelty jumper at Christmas with this jauntily playing in the background.

(Probably not it's intent)

The recording (and pressing) doesn't try to ramp everything up to 11 and attempt to blow your socks off with loudness and awe alone, but is actually quite quiet compared to some (but not overly so), but this allows all the detail to be present, and you can then turn up the volume to your taste without losing anything through distortion, which a louder recording might do, when it crowds out all else that's going on around the chorus.

So I will be looking out for more of these Philips Hi-Fi Stereos, now that I've finally succeeded in getting this one.

Two thumbs and both eyebrows up :)

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The piano transcriptions are arranged by Zimmermann. He plays them in a sedate manner, making the dances quite stately. Only "We're Going Around" provides a brief lively Ragtime passage

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Bl!ndman is a Belgian music collective, which was started in 1988 as a saxophone quartet. The group was founded by saxophonist Eric Sleichim, taking the name from the magazine The Blind Man (1917) by Marcel Duchamp. Latterly Sleichim has used different instruments and has collaborated with dance and theatre artists. (From Wikipedia)

The style on this album is free-form improvisation, with some tracks using unpitched percussive and breathing effects created on the instruments

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A record of the budget Decca Viva! series. The quality of the vinyl is very flexible (only 118 gr), and the dynamic range is reduced to nearly nothing to get the ninth symphony on one record.
"Alle Menschen werden Brüder" sounds like a children's choir on this record.
Sir Edward Lewis turned in his grave if he heard this. It's not Phase 4 Stereo worth....Well Decca in the early '80 wasn't Decca anymore

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The transcriptions used for this disc were made by D. Combe using a Archeophone and
had already been published on a CD for the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society. Andrew Rose applied a range of digital restoration procedures, achieving an impressive degree of reduction of 'surface noise', distortion and tonal coloration, allowing a fidelity of reproduction which could not have been imagined at the time the cylinders were made.

The reproduction quality varies from the 'archaeological' to a quality acceptable by the standards of early 78s, possessing at best a recorded frequency range exceeding that of acoustically recorded 78s. This allows an informed assessment of the musical standards and worth of the tracks, which would have been made as a commercial proposition for after-dinner entertainment in the homes of the upper middle classes.

We know little about the professional status of the performers, most likely seasoned musicians working outside of their regular evening engagements. The accents of the singers now sound comically affected, not helped by their need to sing FFF throughout. The brass bands were better favoured by the new medium, and the bombastic quasi-military band names were typical of such performances throughout the entire shellac era.

The full notes on the performances and their transcription are available on Pristine Classical.

5 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

The first thing that will strike you when you listen to Florence Foster Jenkins is that none of the words are discernible. For this reason I have omitted the title details as to whether a song is being sung in German or English, which seems also to have defeated those printing the sleeve and labels, which disagree on these details.

The discerning listener may also notice some errors in temperament. I have to confess I do not rate her performances very highly, though Florence had, and continues to have, her admirers, and her nine recorded songs continue to sell steadily.

Der Hölle Rache (Queen of the Night aria) must be one of her better performances:

[YouTube Video]

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This is his first of two recordings in which Andre Cluytens performed with two different orchestras,two different choir and two different soloists,both recorded in mono and stereo formats.This is my all-time favourite Faure`s best work,and my favourites are Agnus Dei and Libera Me,and I still like it now.

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The first piece, The Message Of The Titmouse, starts in the manner of the whole album, with the choir building up complex vocalese chords with multiple glissandi, acapella, but breaks out into a text sung at full volume. The title piece is more typical, still the acapella vocalese, but introduced by a solo violin which also glissondoes before skittering about in all directions, followed by the solo soprano. The violin and cello then introduce a typical theme, "The" Vasks theme, upon which the choir part builds. A couple of 'false endings' has the choir start again quietly before building to a climax. The soprano can be heard very faintly in the background, going where no woman has gone before. The coda has a subito p. fading al niente. I find this all very beautiful.

[YouTube Video]

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This album released in 1961 and this is her second of two recordings of one of my favourite piano concertos of all time and I believe Moura Lympany is one of my favourite pianists of all time.Also,there`s a reissue on the EMI/CFP label and the record catalogue number is CFP 167.

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A welcome selection of Christmas carols, ranging from the most familiar to the contemporary, all sung in the best Cathedral tradition. The compositions are predominantly from the 20th Century but their origins range across the centuries. Joubert's glorious carol gives the album its title and is a delight to hear. The first track is taken at a more stately pace than usual, and Joseph And The Angel also is notably lento. The most recent composition, The Lamb, had already established itself in the Christmas repertoire and the young choristers here handle the very modern harmonies with ease.

Accompanied by detailed notes on the compositions, and the notes on the history of the Carol are worth a read.

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This album is originally released in 1957 and only in mono,and it`s my favourite recording of all time,when I heard this album in my schooldays,and now I`ll treasure this album forever,because it`s my favourite album of all time.

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An Absolute Sound!

....Even if you don't like classical music, you must give one of these Columbia SAX discs a go... If you see one, buy it, and try it!

This is simply breathtaking.

Among the many pleasures, and true joys that record collecting gives me, along with finding a sleeve for an EP I have, or a record for a sleeve, or finding an item that I'd set myself a task in finding - a Target CD, SACD, First Press etc. Is the absolute thrill of fining a Columbia record, and then turning it over and seeing those three magic letters: SAX...

... Whether it has the first press blue and silver labels, or a later red label, they are the best you can buy in my opinion. More even than Decca, who, while give you absolute vinyl neutrality (they just get out of the way, and let the incredibly well recorded music do the talking), or HMV, there truly is something about these Columbias that rocks my world! :)

They make even an average, inexpensive stereo system like mine sound like it's worth 10-20 thousand pounds more than it actually is!

By what strange alchemy they achieved this I do not know, but close your eyes, and it's not just like having the orchestra in the room with you, but the whole room itself seems to disappear... there isn't even an orchestra, there is only music, everywhere. They seem to kick your windows and walls away, and depth, space, detail, separation of each instrument is absolute... like Godzilla stepping lightly in ballet shoes, the sound towers over you like some ultra powerful monster that can, if it needs to, go almost ninja like as it creeps up and whispers softly in your ear, and nothing in the sound impedes anything else in the slightest.

And in in particular, find one of a full symphony - especially a brilliant one like this, and it will blow you away.

Timpani rolls across the sky toward you like thunder - shaking your windows (if you still had windows!), while strings menace the middle distance, rising up, and threatening to come crashing down on you like a massive wave, and silky solos and brass like trumpets of Jericho (I'm pushing the pretentious as hard as I can here folks - I hope you appreciate this effort! :) conspire to devastate the listener.

Once you've heard one of these, every other record you listen to form that moment on will sound like two tin cans on a bit of string.

(I might be wrong, but didn't popsters Strawberry Switchblade pinch the motif from the third movement of this for their song: Since Yesterday?)

So if you see a stray Columbia SAX of any label in a record bin going cheap... just buy it!

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Tracks 1 to 3 : Violin Concerto No.1 in A Minor,BWV1041 [Bach] Tracks 4 to 6:Violin Concerto No.2 in E Major,BWV 1042 [Bach] Tracks 7 to 9:Double Violin Concerto in D Minor,BWV 1043 [Bach] Tracks 10 to 12:Concerto Grosso in A Minor,Op.3 No.8 [Vivaldi].This is one of my favourite classical CD album of all time and voted the best classical recording sponsored by Penguin Books.

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Cheerful and narrative scores which would serve a film or documentary by describing the scenes as they unfurl.

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?